The Insane Cost of Raising Kids May Very Well Cause Bankruptcy

Having kids may make your life complete. The same can't be said for your portfolio.

Data from the Department of Agriculture has found that the cost of raising a child from birth through age 17 totals $233,610. That's about $14,000 per year. It should be noted that prices tend to be more in cities, while they skew downward in rural regions.

If you think 233-grand is a fortune, well, hold on to your wallet because there's more bad news. That figure is based on 2015 data, meaning it's probably going to be more in 2017. Even scarier? These estimates don't take college into account (if you're curious, that runs about $21,000 a year for a public school and $45,000 for a private one).

About one-third of the money needed to raise children goes to housing, followed by child care, education and food.

Raising children is a hit to the bank account -- a hit that does not get better over time. Raising a child between birth and two runs just shy of $13,000 annually and creeps up to about $14,000 between ages 15 and 17.